Philadelphia
by SweetKerosene
Summary: "but right now she didn't need fine honed skills to tell that look on his face was pure devastation." Tragedy, Philadelphia, Booth, and Brennan
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: pretty much nothing is mine.

*SK*

It had been a long week. The case was… tedious… to say the least. Booth had barely slept a wink. When he finally made it home he had gone straight to bed. Hannah was out somewhere on assignment, he really had paid no mind to her absence. He was just so tired. So when the sharp ringing of his cell phone made it through his sleep fogged brain he seriously considered ignoring it but the phone was already up to his ear. Muscle memory he supposed.

The voice on the other line was completely unfamiliar, timid but official. "Seeley Booth?"

"Yes?" He said voice still thick with sleep, now shrouded with confusion as well.

"Hello, this is Officer Beckford with the Philadelphia Police Department-"

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As Temperance Brennan was pulled from sleep by a vicious knocking on her door she felt a sudden wave of irrational anger. She just wanted to sleep, dammit. She definitely didn't want to be going answering the door in close to nothing at 2:34 in the morning. When she swung the door open she had her mouth open to verbally castrate the person standing on the other side but she knew from the smell the door wafted to her it was Booth. That wasn't what stopped her tirade though. It was the look on his face. Since the Lauren Eames case she had been trying harder to discern people's feelings, thoughts, intentions, from facial minutia, but right now she didn't need fine honed skills to tell that look on his face was pure devastation.

"Booth?" She asked tentatively. She had never seen him like this before, and that scared her a little bit.

"I need you to identify a body." He said bluntly. She was shocked. They had just closed a case not even 8 hours ago. They were both exhausted; she knew he had just as little sleep as she had. She just couldn't understand his request.

"Booth-" She said sounding almost annoyed but he cut her off. He couldn't handle it if she said no.

"There was an explosion in Philadelphia. My mo-"His voice broke off and his eyes misted over. He looked anywhere but at her, his Adam's apple bobbing as he tried to control his emotions. "My mom, she was at her car when it happened. The officer up there said there should be enough for me to identify." He continued. Finally looking at her.

"Booth… " She trailed, she didn't know how to approach this. Honestly, that's always how you done it before, she thought. "I don't understand why you need me to identify… If they're certain enough that it's her to call you and there's enough for visual identification…" She fell off again, this was coming out wrong. She was sounding callous and she definitely not with him standing in her apartment looking like that.

"I just want to be sure." He said his voice breaking again. This time he couldn't keep the tears at bay and a sob broke free from him as the tears spilled over. In all honesty, he knew he just needed his best friend to be with him. She didn't know what to do. She couldn't stand there and watch him cry, but she didn't know what was allowed anymore. But then again this wasn't a normal circumstance and her best friend needed comfort. She needed to give it to him. He stepped closer to her slightly, he was lost, she could see it in the way his eyes darted around as if to figure out where he was. She wrapped her arms around him then pulling him tightly against her. His arms were limp at first then he wrapped his arms so tightly around her she could hardly breathe. A discomfort she'd bear gladly.

"Ok, Booth." She whispered into his ear.

*SK*

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A.N: I know it's short. I'll update soon


	2. Chapter 2

The flight to Pennsylvania was somber and the drive to the police department was even more so. Booth was silent the whole time. She had no idea what to do or say. She was never good with comforting people. Now was no different, no matter how badly she wanted it to be.

She, on a professional level, understood why he wanted her there. If the body was so badly burned that it was mostly bones or even just partially she would be able to give him an identification close to absolute, but when they stood above the body waiting for the sheet to be pulled back and his hand grasped hers desperately she knew it wasn't professional. They were partners but she was certain that if his partner had been Charlie he wouldn't be holding his hand this at all, let alone this tightly. Angela had told her once that sometimes a simple touch was enough. She hoped it was. They pulled the sheet back enough to see the face. Booth's hand became clammy and squeezed tighter, his eyes watered. He stared intently at the woman in front of them, his features schooled. The right half of her face was burned beyond recognition. Booth let go of her hand and whispered "Let's go, Bones." Then walked away from her and the room quickly.

Once they got to the hotel Booth went straight to his room. In the car he had told her he wouldn't need her to do an identification, still stoic. She laid down on the bed. She always felt out of touch with the human race, a little ironic because she devoted her life to understanding it. It was times like this that she wished she could grasp the intricacies of human emotion though. Booth needed a friend and she was trying to be, but things had changed so tremendously since they got back from their respective trips and especially since the Lauran Eames case. He had been talking to her less, it hadn't stopped completely but she knew he was trying to distance himself from her. He was in a relationship now, and it made him happy. Now though, she didn't know her place in his life. Suddenly she heard a very loud thump behind her. She sat up quickly from the bed and looked in the direction of the noise which was also Booth's room. She looked at the clock realizing she was reflecting than she thought then she heard the thump again. She got up and headed next door to Booth's hotel room. She knocked, hearing more thumps and they were getting closer. When Booth opened the door the smell of alcohol hit her. She looked at him, his eyes were glazed and his hair was disheveled. He was definitely drunk.

"Hey, Bones." He said trying to sound sober.

"Booth? Are you alright?" She asked knowing it was a stupid question. He looked at her and for a second his face changed into something she couldn't decipher.

"Yeah, Bones. I'm great" He said, not a hint of sarcasm, just grief.

"May I come in?" She knew he probably wanted to be alone but she didn't want to leave him. Right now she was his friend. His shoulder, as the saying goes. He looked like he wanted to say no, like he was going to say no, but in the end he opened the door wider to let her in.

"Want something to drink?" She nodded in the affirmative. He got her a plastic cup and poured her a finger of scotch, she downed it and he poured them both another and another until she refused any more. She sat back against his headboard, slightly buzzed. He was completely, understandably, drunk. He looked so bleak as he sat next to her. He turned to her looked her in the eye for a moment and then turned away. "I haven't talked to her in so long. At least 3 years. I can't even remember why not anymore. Stupid, huh?"

What could she possibly say to that? She sat stunned trying to think of the right thing. She just went for a heartfelt "I'm sorry" He dropped his head and his shoulders began to shake. It didn't take her long to realize he was crying again. She put her arms around him and let him cry. Eventually he ended up with his head in her lap and her hand running soothingly through his hair. His breathing had evened out a long time ago. She gently slid out from underneath him tip-toeing back to her bedroom calling Angela once she was seated on her bed. She hadn't even thought that Angel might be sleep when she called, but when Angela answered she sounded wide awake. Which she blamed on the baby.

"What's up, Bren?"

"Booth's mom is dead." She said bluntly. She heard Angela gasp on the other end of the phone.

"How is he?" Suddenly Brennan thought this fell under the "What happens between us is ours" clause. And Booth wouldn't want her telling Angela about him crying. She wouldn't want him telling Hannah if it were the other way around.

"He's…" She couldn't think of how to describe him right now without breaking the "ours is ours". She sighed "I don't know how to help him, Ange. I've never been good at comforting people."

Angela had to agree "You're his best friend Brennan. He knows you, he knows you aren't the best comforter on this planet, but obviously he wants you there. He trusts you. Listen when he needs to talk. Just be there for him. That's probably all he expects from you right now." Brennan was silent. She would do anything for Booth that had never changed, she just hoped she could do it.

She didn't know what was going to happen in the next few days but whatever she would support Booth as best she could.

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AN: There is a reason my chapters are so short. but my next one will probably be longer so it might take longer for an update.

Feedback is always appreciated. and thank you to everyone who reviewed and subscribed. =).


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